Mother! Mother! Where are you?", Wanday called out to her mother as she rushed out of the house. Nadine saw the fear in her daughter's eyes and she put the vegetables she had in her hands on the ground and ran to Wanday. She held her daughter's arms and she felt them so cold. "Oh child you are so cold are you alright?", she asked her daughter. Wanday looked at her mother and shook her head. "Sharay, we need to find a way to tell her to come back home. The moment she will set foot in Agasah they will kill her mother.", she told her mother. Nadine's heart sank and she was filled with so much fear for Sharay. She held wanday's hands in hers and asked her, "Did you have another vision about your sister my child?" Wanday told her mother about everything she has seen and also about the red head who would fight Sharay. They both sat there thinking if they could just get a message to Sharay before she sets foot in Agasah. They had not changed since the day Wanday had known the truth about her real mother. They had continued to act like mother and daughter and it had brought them closer. They wanted to tell Sharay as soon as she would be back but now they feared she might not even come home if she went to Agasah. How were they going to get this message to Sharay on time. Wanday took the clay pot to the stream to fetch water. In her head she kept wondering why her sister was as cold as ice and who the girl with red hair was. Could that be Nadine's child? If it was her child she would have been as gentle and loving as her mother. She got to the stream and as she placed her hands in the water she world stopped. The bees stopped buzzing and everything stopped, only the river was flowing. She saw this and she screamed and removed her hand from the stream. As she removed her hand a voice from the water spoke to her, "My queen do not be afraid for we are here to serve you." She looked around her in awe and as she looked back she saw the most beautiful image of a man made by the river. She couldn't believe her eyes and she asked, "Are you speaking to me? Who are you?" The river replied, "I am the one that lives in you, the one that flows in you and I believe you would want me to deliver a message to your sister." She laughed in disbelief and replied, "Well you are a river that speaks and knows me so yes I think." He bowed down to her and said, "Very well your highness I shall deliver your message to your sister." He was about to leave when she stopped him. "How will you deliver a message you don't know?", she asked him surprised. He smiled at Wanday and he went away. The world was back in motion and everything was normal. Wanday was left angry at the river she tried putting her hand back into the river but he didn't come back. "I am the one that lives in you, the one that flows in you. Really! Stupid river saying all sorts of things and cant even deliver my message because I didn't tell you!", she shouted.
Sharay sat under a tree near the stream. She was resting her feet as she was days' walk away from home. Agasah was very far and it would take her a month at least to get to that place on foot. She wanted to go ad get her mother and sister the most amazing gifts from this amazing place. She had heard the stories of the great tower, the great civilization and she was going to set her feet there, breathe their air and eat their food. Mother and Wanday will be so happy when I come back in two full moons with wonderful gifts. She sat and knew her mother and sister were terribly worried about her but she had to leave and go. As she continued resting under the tree she felt a cold breeze and the leaves of the trees blow away harder. They all suddenly stopped and all was still. She was curious and not frightened by this strange thing that was happening around her. She opened her eyes wide open and she poked a still leave and laughed. "My queen I bring a message from your sister.", she heard a voice from behind her. she turned and saw a dazzling man made or water in the river looking at her. She laughed in disbelief and she whispered to him, "I think the river just spoke to me and called me queen." She smiled at him in disbelief. He replied her, "Yes I spoke to you my queen and I bring news from your sister." Sharay screamed and ran away from the river. This was the weirdest things to ever happen to her. "Well I am not a queen and I don't speak to rivers so go away.", she told the river. The river replied her, "You are queen Sharay of Agasah and your sister queen Wanday sent me to tell you not to go to Agasah for there is great danger. Please my queen go back home to your sister." He went away after saying the message. Sharay's jaw dropped, he knew her name, her sister's name and that she was going to Agasah. She had told no soul about this except the chief's son. She sat down to calm her nerves and decide if she should go back home or continue. The sun set as she sat there and pondered about her journey. She rose up and started walking back home to her mother and sister.
Sharay walked through the night to get home, all thus whie she kept wondering why a mere river spoke to her. She didn't understand the deeper meaning of the words of the river and she kept laughing about it. Back home Wanday kept wondering what the river meant and why Sharay was as cold as ice. The two sisters were in deep thoughts about what the river meant they both didn't see it was dawn already. Sharay found herself standing in front of her mother's yard. She hadn't seen she was home as she was in deep thought. Her mother came out the house and she walked up to her and held her daughter in her hands. "Sharay, you home child and you are freezing.", she said as she wrapped a her cloth around her daughter. Sharay was startled when she saw her mother and she tightly hugged her. "Oh mother how I missed you in only a day!", she laughed out. Wanday stood at the door looking on at this moment and she wondered how everything would turn out after she had told her sister the truth about them. Nadine made a fire quietly and she placed a clay pot with water to boil her herbs. Everyone sat there quietly in deep thought. Sharay didn't know if her mother and sister would believe her story of the river, Nadine was afraid Sharay would never love her the same after hearing the whole truth and Wanday didn't know why her sister was cold in her vision and she feared it might be death. They all sighed, passed on gazes and laughed together. Sharay then blurted out, "The river spoke to me! It said Wanday sent it to me and I know it's so absurd but I am not making this up mother!" Nadine held her daughter's hand and she smiled. Wanday replied, "Yes it spoke to me too. It told me it would deliver my message to you sister." They all went silent and Nadine started adding more firewood into the fire. "I am the one that flows in you. I am the one that lives within you.", they both said. Sharay was surprised and confused at the same time. She looked at her mother with so many questions in her eyes but her mother just sat there and cried. The two sisters reached out their hands to their mother who shook her head and cried. "It is time, the time has come now and I do not think I am strong enough to let you go!", Nadine cried as she held her children's hands tighter. Sharay looked more confused and asked, "What do you mean mother? What time are you talking about?" Wanday looked at her mother and she nodded to her in assurance. "Sharay I have something to tell you my child. I know you will be hurt and afraid but don't be.", Nadine told Sharay. Sharay had always been fearless but whatever her mother was about to tell her made her feel so afraid.
Back in Agasah Amandla lay in her chambers. The black sorcerer went to tend to her when she had awoken. He checked on her and saw she was in good health. He made her a tonic to drink and gave it to her. She looked at him as he paced up and down wondering what she was thinking of. "The white head witch is the true queen of Agasah right?", she asked him so cold. He stopped pacing and looked at her with his eyes wide open pretending to be shocked. She chuckled and rose to get out of the bed, he ran to stop her but she lifted her finger as an order not to stop her. She walked up to him with a sly look and smile on her face. "I heard what you talked about with the empress and I know everything. Well I am the queen of Agasah and even though I was born a commoner this is my land!", she told him sternly. The black sorcerer smiled at her touching her red hair and circling around her. "You don't want to give up Agasah my queen? You want it to be yours?", he asked her. She looked at him and they both laughed with so much hate. "I want the white head witch dead and I want you to make sure I am queen. Oh and yes I wont give up my throne not now not ever!" find her and kill her but bring the one with powers from the gods with you.", she ordered him. She wasn't going to let anyone take what she believed to be hers. She would fight and protect her Agasah because she was the queen and she had built it with her father. The black sorcerer felt his blood rush, he had waited for such power and he had found it. She had no love nor had she morals unlike Diablo who would always have Harunah as a weakness this queen would bring all realms down. He walked down the stairs and took two best warriors that trained with Amandla to the deepest part of the tower. Shekah and Danah were as ruthless as their mistress and together they would find the queens and kill one of them but bring the other to the tower. Shekah was a ruthless warrior and he was as handsome as he was good in war. Danah was his sister and the two had trained together as soon as they could walk. They were one of Diablo's finest warriors and Amandla had set her eyes on Shekah since she was little. She had always wanted him to be her personal guard and she finally thought this would be his chance to prove himself. There was a deep dungeon heavily guarded and locked up. He looked at the two warriors, smiled and said, "In here lies the griffins of Agasah but I will make sure the ones you ride will be at your command, take more men and get me those queens!" he cast a spell on the griffins and ordered the warriors to leave with more men. They flew over the tower as they left the Agasah. The black sorcerer passed by Ammara's dungeon cell and he played his fingers on the bars. He continued playing them and whistled with joy in his heart. Ammara turned from the east and walked towards him, she said, "Came to gloat I see. You use sacred griffins for your dirty and evil work I see. They are meant fr only the warriors of Agasah not the valoyees. He laughed at her and he walked away whistling. Ammara was furious she cried and screamed out to him, "This will be your ending fool! You hurt my queens and I will kill you myself!" He could be heard laughing from afar and she fell to the ground and cried to the gods.
Sharay just sat there still looking at her mother and sister in disbelief. She hadn't said a thing to them and they too had been quiet after they had told her the whole truth. She was in shock and couldn't believe that she was the queen meant to save people from an evil king and his sorcerer. She kept looking at Nadine who she couldn't believe wasn't her mother. Nadine started adding more firewood into the fire and the fire became bigger. She was nervous and she didn't see it she ended up burning her hand and she screamed. "Mother! Mother you hurt yourself!", Sharay told her mother as she took her hand and took cold ashes to put on it. Nadine rose her eyes and their gaze met, her eyes were filled with tears so were Sharay's eyes. Sharay hugged Nadine tightly and she began to cry, "You are my mother and not anyone else. Now you are telling me to leave you?" They had never seen Sharay cry before and this broke Nadine's heart, she held her daughter tightly and replied, "You are not safe here anymore, they know you are alive and they will come after you here." They both wept and Sharay shook her head in disapproval, Wanday just sat there with so much worry for her mother. "I cant leave you mother! What will happen to us without you?", Sharay wept. Nadine took her daughter's face in her hands and she said, "You will have each other, you are touched by the gods and you are the chosen warrior queen that is why you have that tattoo. Your sister is your anchor and there is one Agasah warrior I came with but she lives in the mountains she will be with you. I will be fine here." The mother was as scared as her daughter but she had to assure her. She had to let her go so she gets the golden sword, bow and arrow to fight for the people of Agasah. She took both her daughters in her arms,hugged and kissed them. "Never look back until you have taken back our land. Promise me now you will never look back!", she ordered them. That day the queens of Agasah made a solemn promise to their mother that they would never look back. They would keep her in their hearts and would love her but Sharay made her own promise to come back and get her mother when she had won the war. She stood outside and face the east as she made that promise to the gods. Wanday saw her sister standing alone in deep thought and she walked up to her. "You will look back and come get mother.", she told her sister. Sharay looked at her sister and asked, "You are already in my head? Please don't do that Wanday, I might as well just start hating that gift of yours seer." Wanday laughed and she held her sister's hand. "I know you will because you are Sharay and your whole world revolves around mother. I didn't use my gifts from the gods but I know my sister." Tears filled Sharay's eyes and she she replied, "I will win this war and I will get mother home this I promise you. The two sisters hugged each other.
The griffins flew from Agasah heading to the nameless lands of the chiefs. They were looking for the queens. The warrior of Agasah that had left with the queens as babies stayed in the mountains was out hunting when she saw big birds from a distance that looked familiar to her. She had been by the empress's side since they were young and serving the gods in the heavens. Tafuh she was called, she was the strongest and the best warrior of Agasah. She noticed the griffins and knew danger was close by, she rode her horse towards the village. She blew her horn to warn Nadine of the danger that neared. The sister didn't know the meaning of the horn but when their mother dropped the clay pot she held they knew that it was time. Nadine's eyes filled with tears and she trembled in fear as she looked at her daughters. Wanday heard Ammara's voice telling them to run and she looked at her sister and said, "It is time now Sharay we have to leave now." Their mother ran into the house and started packing up supplies for the queens, she got them food and warm clothes. She gave a bag to each sister who just stood there in shock in how everything was happening so fast. Nadine put coats she had made from the cloth she had got from the market. She gave each daughter a necklace with the symbol of their tattoos and she held both their hands and smiled to them. "It has been an honor my queens. This mother will always love you and she will keep in her heart. Its time to leave now.", she told them as she tried not to cry. The queens wept and kept holding their mother's hands as she tried to let them go. The three of them wept and the warrior Tafuh arrived on her horse to tell them to leave because the griffins were close by. Nadine nodded her head in assurance and the girls let their mother go and ran out of the yard with Sharay's head covered so they couldn't see her white her. They held each other's hands as they walked into the village trying to leave. The warrior was following them from a distant. As the sisters got in the middle of the village the griffins arrived and blocked everyone's way so they ended up being trapped among the people. The warrior pulled them and hid the queens in a nearby storage room and they could see Shekah and Danah pacing up and down. "People I only want the white head witch who lives in this village and we will be on our way!", Shekah said. The people terrified of the griffins and the valoyee warriors pointed to the direction and Shekah sent two of her warriors to get them. Sharay looked at Tafuh and Wanday with so much fear for her mother. They waited and Nadine was dragged to Shekah and Danah and pushed to the ground. She fell down to their feet and she was grabbed by the hair by Danah as Shekah asked her, "Where are the sisters? If you tell me I will let you go Agasian." Nadine laughed at her and she was slapped but she kept on laughing. Sharay wanted to go out and save her mother but the warrior and Wanday got hold of her. She was filled with anger and tears filled her eyes. "Very well then I am going to kill you. I know the sisters are close by and they will see you die.", Shekah told Nadine. Nadine laughed and replied, "I will watch from heaven as my daughter tear you into pieces fool!" Shekah signaled to Danah to slit Nadine's throat and she slit her throat leaving her body to drop on the ground to die. Sharay screamed from the storage room but the warrior closed her mouth. She screamed with so much pain that she over powered Tafuh, her eyes were glowing like blue fire flames, her white hair glowed and she glowed like the sun. Wanday saw her sister turn with anger and pain she held her hand and it was just as cold as it was in the vision. She called out her name but she couldn't hear her. Sharay took the warrior's sword and ran towards the valoyee warriors. They had never seen such a being and as she got to them she killed the other warriors by herself. She fought with Danah and Shekah, she was not the Sharay that Wanday knew and Tafuh went to help fight the valoyees. The two fought with the warriors whilst Wanday was trying to figure out how to calm her sister. She was cold but why? She ran to the griffin and undid the black sorcerer's spell. Sharay took her sword and drew it deep into Danah's heart, she fell to the ground and died. She walked towards Shekah who was afraid and as she rose her sword to kill her Wanday called her, "Sharay no! Never look back remember!" Sharay dropped the sword and the glow went away, she was weak and she fell to the ground and she crept to her mother who lay there dead. She held her in her arms and cried out her name with so much pain. Wanday knelt next to her sister weeping and whispered, "We have to leave now Sharay." Sharay looked at her sister and wept she didn't want to leave her mother unburied. The chief who was among the people who looked on promised to bury her safely. Sharay stood up, went up to Shekah and said, "You tell Diablo he has made this personal and I am coming for him with everything I have got!" She walked away and got on one of the griffin. She remembered her promise to come get her mother and she told herself she would come and get her bones as soon as this war was over. They flew away and Shekah also flew back to Agasah. Wanday was quiet on the griffin she didn't say a word to her sister, she kept wondering why her sister had been glowing like that. She held her sister,s hand and it was cold, the look in her eyes was different it was that one of a person who had no feelings at all. It was as if the old Sharay had died with Nadine and this was a different person. She wore the necklace her mother made for them and held it in her hands as if it was reminder of who she was. Was her sister gone?
Ammara felt the death of Nadine through the pain of the sisters and she felt how powerful Sharay was. She didn't know how the warrior without the heart was going to be triggered but the death of Nadine had. She had thought that Wanday was the only anchor but after this she knew Nadine had been the queen's other anchor. She prayed and hoped this would not let her become ruthless and kill everything that threatened her or Agasah. The black sorcerer came down the dungeons bringing Ammara food and water. He walked into the cell and placed the tray on the floor. "She is coming for you and all the valoyees. She will kill you all.", Ammara whispered to him. He laughed and knelt down whispering to her, "You say so I am guessing. She might be already dead Ammara." He giggled. Ammara turned and held his head with her two hands and said, "Maybe I should show you." He saw the the battle between his warriors and Sharay and he was afraid. She let him go, laughed and asked, "Afraid I see! You just signed your death warrant and she is stronger than you thought." He stood up and ran out of the cell angry. He could hear Ammara laughing from a distance and he got so angry. He walked into his chambers and threw things to the walls and ground. He screamed that it was heard in the whole tower and this made Ammara laugh. Diablo went to the black sorcerer's chambers to find out what had gotten him so angry. He told him of what he had done and how he had sent the warriors to kill the true queens. Diablo was shaken and angry at the gods. "These bloody gods have made a weapon that strong to destroy me when they shamed me in the heavens!", he cursed. He was furious and he wanted to get back at the gods and laugh at them too. "What do we have to do now my sorcerer?", he asked. The sorcerer looked at him ad replied, "Amandla is our only hope, we should have a ritual to make her stronger." Diablo looked worried and the sorcerer assured him by saying, "She might be from Agasah but she adores you and she doesn't want to give up her position as queen so she will not betray us." Diablo trusted his sorcerer so he gave him permission to turn Amandla into the strongest warrior to kill the queens of Agasah. The black sorcerer walked to Amandla's chambers and she asked, "Are they dead now?" The sorcerer shook his head and then walked up to her. "She is too strong so we have to make you stronger and we will destroy these filthy Agasians forever and the gods will see the pain we felt all this time.", he said and they both laughed. Harunah overhead this conversation as she stood outside the door. She had lost Amandla to Diablo and this was like a knife had been drawn into her heart. She walked back to her chambers slowly and as she was about to get to her chambers she heard a faint voice calling her. When she turned she saw Nadine smiling to her. "Nadine! Nadine my love!", she called back but as she tried to reach out Nadine went away. She knew then that it was time and Nadine had sacrificed herself to protect the queens. Harunah fell to the ground and wept quietly for the mother of her children. She had succeeded in protecting her own daughters but she had failed to protect Amandla.